Type-distributer



(ModeL) 3 SheetSheet 1.

' H. C.'LELAND.

TYPE DISTRIBUTER}. No. 465,482. PatentedDo. 22, 1391.

(Modem v v v s Sheets-Sheet 2. H. G. LELAND. TYPE DISTRIBUTBR.

No.4 65,482. Paton-ted Dec, '22, 1891.

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H. G. LELAND.

77 TYPE DISTRIBUTER. No 465,482 PatentedDem 22, 1891.

ii rgl ,2; Q I I I 5 17V Vii/V7073 UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

HENRY C. LELAND, OF \VATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

TYPE-DlSTRl-BUTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,482, dated December 22, 1891. Application filed October 15, 1890. fierial No. 368,191. (Model) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. LELAND, of IVaterbury,'in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-Distributers, of which the followings is a full, clear, and exact description, whereby anyone skilled in the art can make and use the same.

My invention relates to the class of machines that are adapted for use in the distribution of type, handling the matter as it is taken from the form, separating it letter by letter, and distributing it to a proper receptacle for each letter. In some prior machines of this class the distributing is effected by. mechanism that works imperfectly and causes a considerable percentage of breakage of type, while the parts are in a measure uncertain in their operation, whereas extreme accuracy in selection and distribution is required.

To this end my invention consists in details of the several partsmaking up the typeholding and type-selecting mechanism and in their combination, as more particularly hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a top or plan view of apart of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view, in side elevation, ofthe parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view in end elevation of the lineholder. Fig. 4 is a detail view, on enlarged scale, of the back of the feeler-block. Fig. 5 is a detail view on enlarged scale, looking from the left in section through the feelerblock and in elevation of the line-holder. Fig. 6 is a detail top view on enlarged scale, showing the line-clamp in one position. Fig. 7 is a like view showing it in the position with the feeler engaged back of the type.

Fig. 8 is a detail view of like parts, showing a feeler in the act of throwing out a type. Fig. 9 is adetail side View of a feeler on enlarged scale. of a feeler and in side elevation of a type. Fig. 11 is a detail view in section through the feeler-block, showing the feeler and the line of type. Fig. 12 is a detail view in section of the feeler-block, showing the feeler engaged back of one of the type and in position to of support.

Fig. 10 is a detail end view of any suitable material and is arranged, preferably, so as to revolve abouta central point 011 this base is arranged the line-holder B, the line-holder bar 6' being preferably a thin strip of metal supported edgewise in a vertical position, the inner end being held by a support a, that allows a free swinging movement of the outer end of the bar. The outer bar 19 is a like strip of metal supported in a vertical position substantially parallel to the other bar, so as to form a vertical channel D between the two bars, the channel being of a suitable width to receive a line of type that is held in an upright position between the line-holder bars. This outer bar 29 has alengthwise-sliding movement in the supclam device F and'also has a function in' connection with the operation of the feelers,

.which will be hereinafter described. In the that extends between the block and the back side of theinnerbarb, againstwhich it thrusts. The outer end of the crank-arm is provided with a slotf that engages the post f on the link f, the latter being pivotally connected to the outer end of the outer arm, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The tension of the clamp-spring f tends to close the outer ends of the holder-bars upon a line of type that is thrust between the bars by convenient means, the type standing upright be tween the bars and with one end resting upon the spring-actuated follower g of the linefeed G. The outer end of the line of type rests against the line-stop b that is formed tends across the front of the line-holder block and has a beveled face forming a feeler-cam b On the inner face of the holder-bar b there is formed the feeler-socket b just large enough to receive the end of a feeler, and the upper part of the cam is rounded off toward this socket, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 of the drawings, the object of this rounding off of the highest point of the cam being to allow the feeler to be thrust quickly forward into the socket, where its forward end will lie back of the type that is to be removed from the line-holder by the feeler. The line-holder block also bears a ward N, that is cam-shaped,with rounded end, and is secured to the top of the block, (as by means of a screw,) overhanging and projecting slight-1y beyond the hooked end of the lineholder bar I). The front end of this ward is beveled or cam-shaped and is rounded at the inner end, its office beiugto encounter and support the several feelers and prevent the front ends of the teeth from being worn off on the cam in the operation of throwing out the type from the grasp of the holder-bars. This ward encounters a projecting, finger on the upper end of each of the feelers.

The line-feed G consists of the follower gf, that is located in the channel between the line-holder bars and is thrust forward by means of a spring of suitable construction. In the form shown a coil-spring is located in a spring-barrel g the periphery of the barrel having wound upon it the cord 9 one end of the cord being fast to the barrel and the other end to the follower in such manner as to normally operate to thrust the follower forward and against a line of a type that is located in front of the front end of the follower. The follower is attached to the outer line-bar by a friction-clamp g in such manner that the forward movement of the follower tends to a degree to throw the outer line-bar forward with it, this forward motion of the line-bar and of the line of type causing the outer bar to close upon the line of type practically simultaneously with the forward movement of the type-line, and this simultaneous movement forms an important feature of my invention.

The outer line-holder bar b which has a sliding movement, is connected to the lineholder block by means of the spring-arm and link in such manner that the sliding movement of the bar does not interfere with the operation of the spring that serves to close the two bars together and clamp between them the line of type to be distributed.

The feeler-block His secured to a frame or support in such a position that the lineholder base with the line of type may be moved past the outer ends of the feelers h, the several feelers coming successively into line with the line of type. In the form shown each feeler It consists of a thin piece of metal, as steel, supported in vertical slots in the block, a notch h in the lower edge of the feeler serving, by contact of the ends of the notch with the wall of the socket, to limit the lengthwise movement of the feeler. The front end of each feeler is provided with a finger 7L2 and with a number of lateral projecting teeth 71 the arrangement of the latter as to distance between them and as to the length and breadth of the teeth corresponding to the nicks in a certain type that the feeler is intended to engage in such manner as to throw the type out of the grasp of the line-holder. Each type has a different arrangement of the nicks as to space between them or as to number of nicks, as illustrated in Fig. 12 of the drawings, where the back of the type are shown. The front end of each feeler is also cut away, so as to enable the feeler to be projected into the feeler-socket that is less in height than the end of the lineholderbar. The feelers are each held intheir forward position by means of springs 71, thatare fastened to the feeler-block and press against the feelers in such manner as to thrust them forward.

The method of operation of the distributer is as follows: A line of type having been thrust into the line-holder, the outer end of the line is held by the pressure of the follower against the line-stop b the nicks in the type all being turned in the direction in which the line-holder is moving, and this motion of the lin e-holder may be continuous or intermittent, preferably the former. There are as many feelers having their outer ends projecting into the path of movement of the outer end of the line-holder as there are different type. I

Each of the type is distinguished by. a peculiar arrangement of the nicks, and each feeler supported in the feeler-block has its teeth arranged in 'proper position to pass through these nicks, as illustrated in Fig. 10 of the drawings. In the forward movement of the line-holder the beveled face of the ward encounters the end of the finger of each feeler and thrusts the feeler back, so as to thrust the part of the end of the feeler that bears ITO the teeth back from the face of the cam until about the highest point of thefeeler-cam is reached, and then the end of the feeler rides on the cam, and slides quickly around the rounded end, and the feeler, under the impulse ofthe spring, is thrust forward behind the outer end of the line of type. The feeler will be thrust into the feeler-socket only a distance equal to the width of the type to which the feeler is appurtenant-that is, the teeth slip through the nicks of the type that they are intended to extract until they encounter the edge of the type next to that one. This stops the forward movement of the feeler; but as the line of type is being carried in the line-holder in a direction transversely from the grasp of the line-holder bars. This type falls downward into any suitable receptacle,'and the progressive movement of the line-holder continues. As soon as the type has been released the line of type is fedforward under the impulse of the spring that thrusts the follower forward, as already explained, CZIIIlQS Wlth it, to a certain extent and simultaneously, the outer line-holder bar, which closes upon the lineof type at the same time that the outer type of the line encounters the line-stop b and presents another type to be encountered by theproper feeler and removed by it. As illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, the feeler, when it is-struck by the ward, is pushed against the farther edge of the slot h; but as soon as it slidesforward into the line-socket it swings laterally against the farther wall of the socket, as shown in Fig. '7, the lateral play in this socket allowing the feeler to be thrust into the socket in spite of the progressive movement of the line-holder bar past the feeler. As soon as the feeler is located in the feeler-socket back of the type the progressive movement of the lineholder carries the feeler again against the farther wall of the socket, as shown in Fig. 8, and this resistance to further lateral movement of the feeler causes the type to be thrust outward and removed from the grasp of the line-holder bars. A sufficient number of feelers are located about. the outer end of the line-holder base, that is preferably circular in outline, and as many of the line-holders as can be accommodated are arranged side by side radially upon the circular base, the feelers being arranged in the curved frame in suitable blocks concentric with the line-holder base. By means of the several devices above described the type are successively removed from the end of the line from within the grasp of the line-holder bars without the intervention of any cams or like devices for throwing back the outer holder-bar or uncovering the type, the latter operation being performed automatically by the obstruction presented by the outer end of the feeler that lies back of the type to be removed. This is illustrated in Fig. 12 of the drawings. The type and the end of the feelers are so constructed that the latter will slide behind more than one of the type, provided they are of the same character-that is, bear the same letter or character-and therefore have the nicks similarly arranged as to relative position. The sides of the type next beyond a given type forms the stop that limits the forward movement of the feeler, and by the pressure exerted in the forward movement of the line-holder past the comparatively stationary feeler the outer holder-bar is slid backward until its outer end has uncovered all of the type back of which a given feeler lies, and after such type are removed the line of type is thrust forward, so that the outer type of the line is ready to be engaged by the feeler appurtenant to that typethat is, the one having' th-e teeth arranged in conformity with the nicks formed on the back of the type. The comparatively simultaneous forward movement of the line of type and closing movement of the lineholder bar are important iu'gaining this re- "the loosely-mounted feelers, all substantially as described. l A

2. In a type-distributer, in combination with a movable line-holder base, the line-holder bars supported on said base, the outer bar hav-' ing a lengthwise play, the line-holder block, the line-clamp device, the line-feed device appurtenant to the line-holder, and the feelers borne in a feeler-block and adapted to engage the outer end of the line of type as the said ends are presented to the several feelers in succession, all substantially as described.

3. In a type-distributor, in combination With the line-holderbase, theline-holder composed of the line-holder .bars, the line-feed, and the clamp device, as described,and the feeler-block supporting the spring-actuated feelers loosely mounted in sockets in the block that permit a lateral play of the outer end of the feelers, allsubstantially as described.

4. In a type-distributer, in combination with the movable line-holder base, the line-holder bars-supported on said base, with the outer bar having a lateral and a lengthwise play, the inner bar having on the outer end alinestop, the line-clamp, and the line-feed, all substantially as described.

5. In atype-distributer,in combination, the

line-holder bars having a type-line channel between them, the line-holder block supporting the clamp-arm and its engaging spring, the link connecting the outer line-holder bar and the spring-arm, and the line-feed device having a frictional hold on the outer lineholding bar, all substantially as described.

6. In combinati0n,the line-holdingbars supporting the line-feed, spring, the follower appurtenant to the line-feed and havinga frictional grasp on the outer line-holding bar, the feeler-cam and the line-stop on the inner holder-bar, the feeler-socket in said bar, and the spring-actuated feelers loosely supported in the feeler-block and with their outer ends in the path of movement of the cam, all substantially as described.

7. In combination, the line-holder bars havin g a type-line channel between them, the linefeed device having a spring-actuated follower located between the said bars, the line-holding clamp, the feeler-cam borne on the outer end of the inner-line-holding'bar, the feelerblock, with the ward adapted to engage the finger of the feelers, the feeler-socket on the line-holding bar, and the spring-actuated IIO feelers having lateral teeth and with their outer ends in the path of movement of the feeler-cain, all substantially as described.

' 8. In combination, the line-hold er bars havi ng a type-line channel between thennthe linefeed device having a spring-actuated follower located between the said bars, the line-holding clamp, the feeler-carn with rounded surface adjacent to the feeler-socket, the feelersocket, and the feelers withlat-eral teeth and having a limited lengthwise and lateral play and with their outer ends located in the path of movement of the feeler-cam, all substan-- tially as described.

9. In a type-distributer, in combination, the

line-holder bars having a type-line channel HENRY o. LELAND.

Witnesses:

CHAS. L. BURDETT, A. B. JENKINS. 

